2018 NBA Playoffs Picture : Analyzing The Warriors Path to the Finals

The 2018 NBA Playoffs Predictions series continues with the Golden State Warriors. And with Playoffs right around the corner, every analysts on every panel are discussing the strengths and weaknesses of various teams which would be making the postseason or have chances of making the playoffs this season. But the team which appears to be the least talked about are the Golden State Warriors. And that’s because they are still the hot favorite to grab the title this year. But reaching the finals definitely won’t be a piece of cake for the Warriors this year.

Last season, when Kevin Durant (arguably the second best player in the league currently) joined a 73 win team, no other team stood a chance against the Warriors. And that was conspicuous, when the Warriors reached the finals undefeated without losing a single Playoffs game and went on to beat the Cleveland Cavaliers 4-1 to lift the NBA Finals trophy. The Warriors have been a extraordinary team since 2015 but the reason last season came so easy for them was because no team was prepared for a KD affiliated Warriors.

That, however changed this season when almost every team in the league made crucial changes in order to prepare themselves to go against this ‘Super-team’. Two teams which really stood out were the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Houston Rockets. On paper, the Thunder looked much stronger and it seemed like they would have given the Warriors a run for their money but that clearly changed when the Thunder struggled to set a steady foot in the Win column since the beginning of the season. The Rockets, however, hardly lost a game, especially when Chris Paul, James Harden, and Clint Capela all played together resulting in the teams record to be 32-1. The Rockets are currently the No.1 seed in the Western Conference, 0.5 GB ahead of the defending champions ‘Warriors’ and have already defeated the Warriors twice this season.

Inspite of the Rockets tremendous performance, many people still have their money on the Warriors and rightfully so. The Rockets are on a 15 game win streak currently, but the team looks exhausted and that’s because they don’t have as many big men or help as the Warriors does. And this is something that could and would come in handy during the playoffs. The NBA Playoffs is a war amongst the finest, and the lack of help from the bench will definitely trouble the Rockets there.

All in all, the Warriors are still the front-runners for the 2018 NBA title, but with the increased competition in the league, the team would definitely be forced to a 6th or 7th game unlike the previous season. Do you think the Warriors will repeat? Vote below.